After redshirt freshman forward Jason Jakstys told The Daily Illini last weekend that he had a blood clot in his shoulder, head coach Brad Underwood announced Saturday that Jakstys will be out for the rest of the season while undergoing treatment.
“Jason’s had a blood clot in his shoulder that he is dealing with some issues with that, and some procedures as we move forward will be dealt with in the future,” Underwood said
Jakstys played limited minutes in just nine games this season. He averaged 1.3 points and 1.9 rebounds and had a career-high nine boards in his Illini debut on Nov. 3. Although he hasn’t been a big part of the rotation, Jakstys has been a key practice piece for Illinois’ other big men to compete against.
“We will miss him and everything that he provides, which is a great deal for us in terms of practice,” Underwood said. “Hasn’t shown in games, but he’s a terrific player who we’re definitely going to miss.”
With Jakstys out, Croatian forward Toni Bilić will get more reps in practice against the Illini frontcourt rotation. Bilić is brand new to the program – he joined Illinois earlier this month and will redshirt the rest of this season.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
“(Bilić) has started to figure out what were doing,” Underwood said. “He does some scout team stuff. His role will become a little bigger with Jason out, as well.”
@sahil_mittal24
